How AI Has Conquered Democracy

Throughout modern history, political candidates have had only a limited number of tools to take the temperature of the electorate. More often than not, they’ve had to rely on instinct rather than insight when running for office.

Now big data can be used to maximise the effectiveness of a campaign. The next level will be using artificial intelligence in election campaigns and political life.

Machine learning systems are based on statistical techniques that can automatically identify patterns in data. These systems can already predict which US congressional bills will pass by making algorithmic assessments of the text of the bill as well as other variables such as how many sponsors it has and even the time of year it is being presented to US Congress.

Machine intelligence is also now being carefully deployed in election campaigns to engage voters and help them be more informed about key political issues.

This of course raises ethical questions. There is evidence, for example, to suggest that AI-powered technologies were used to manipulate citizens in Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. Some even claim these tools were decisive in the outcome of the vote. It remains unclear what role AI played in campaigning of the Brexit referendum in the UK.

Did you vote because of AI?
Artificial intelligence can be used to manipulate individual voters. During the 2016 US presidential election, the data science firm Cambridge Analytica rolled out an extensive advertising campaign to target persuadable voters based on their individual psychology. 

This highly sophisticated micro-targeting operation relied on big data and machine learning to influence people’s emotions. Different voters received different messages based on predictions about their susceptibility to different arguments. The paranoid received ads with messages based around fear. People with a conservative predisposition received ads with arguments based on tradition and community.

This was enabled by the availability of real-time data on voters, from their behaviour on social media to their consumption patterns and relationships. Their Internet footprints were being used to build unique behavioural and psychographic profiles.
The problem with this approach is not the technology itself but the fact that the campaigning is covert and because of the insincerity of the political messages being sent out. 

Every voter can be sent a tailored message that emphasises a different side of a particular argument. The key is simply to find the right emotional triggers to spur each person into action.

Attack of the Bots
We already know that AI can be used to manipulate public opinion. Massive swarms of political bots were used in the 2017 general election in the UK to spread misinformation and fake news on social media. The same happened during the US presidential election in 2016 and several other key political elections around the world.

These bots are autonomous accounts that are programmed to aggressively spread one-sided political messages to manufacture the illusion of public support. This is an increasingly widespread tactic that attempts to shape public discourse and distort political sentiment.

Typically disguised as ordinary human accounts, bots spread misinformation and contribute to an acrimonious political climate on sites like Twitter and Facebook. They can be used to highlight negative social media messages about a candidate to a demographic group more likely to vote for them, the idea being to discourage them from turning out on election day.
In the 2016 election, pro-Trump bots even infiltrated Twitter hashtags and Facebook pages used by Hillary Clinton supporters to spread automated content.

Bots were also deployed at a crucial point in the 2017 French presidential election, throwing out a deluge of leaked emails from candidate Emmanuel Macron’s campaign team on Facebook and Twitter. 

The information dump also contained what Macron says was false information about his financial dealings. The aim of #MacronLeaks was to build a narrative that Macron was a fraud and a hypocrite – a common tactic used by bots to push trending topics and dominate social feeds.

Using AI for Good
It is easy to blame AI technology for the world’s wrongs (and for lost elections) but the underlying technology itself is not inherently harmful. The algorithmic tools that are used to mislead, misinform and confuse could equally be repurposed to support democracy. 

AI can be used to run better campaigns in an ethical and legitimate way. We can, for example, programme political bots to step in when people share articles that contain known misinformation. They could issue a warning that the information is suspect and explain why. This could help to debunk known falsehoods, like the infamous article that falsely claimed the pope had endorsed Trump. 

We can use AI to better listen to what people have to say and make sure their voices are being clearly heard by their elected representatives. Based on these insights, we can deploy micro-targeting campaigns that help to educate voters on a variety of political issues to help them make up their own mind.

People are often overwhelmed by political information in TV debates and newspapers. AI can help them discover the political positions of each candidate based on what they care about most. For example, if a person is interested in environment policy, an AI targeting tool could be used to help them find out what each party has to say about the environment. Crucially, personalised political ads must serve their voters and help them be more informed, rather than undermine their interests.

The use of AI techniques in politics is not going away anytime soon. It is simply too valuable to politicians and their campaigns. However, they should commit to using AI ethically and judiciously to ensure that their attempts to sway voters do not end up undermining democracy.

The Conversation

You Might Also Read: 

The 4th Industrial Revolution:Can Democracy Survive?:

Big Data And AI For Predicting Human Behaviour:
 

 

« Big Data And AI For Predicting Human Behaviour
UK Will Have Driverless Cars By 2021 »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Our Supplier Directory lists 6,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

Resecurity, Inc.

Resecurity, Inc.

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence.

MIRACL

MIRACL

MIRACL provides the world’s only single step Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which can replace passwords on 100% of mobiles, desktops or even Smart TVs.

Authentic8

Authentic8

Authentic8 transforms how organizations secure and control the use of the web with Silo, its patented cloud browser.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

Energy Sec

Energy Sec

EnergySec is a United States 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation formed to support energy sector organizations with the security of their critical technology infrastructures.

Fortify Experts

Fortify Experts

Fortify Experts is a search and recruitment firm specializing in Cyber Security.

Bulletproof Cyber

Bulletproof Cyber

Bulletproof offer a range of security services, from penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to 24/7 security monitoring, and consultancy.

ISGroup (Information Security Group)

ISGroup (Information Security Group)

ISGroup services include network penetration testing, Web application penetration testing, ethical hacking, vulnerability assessments, code review and associated training.

Quokka

Quokka

Quokka (formerly Kryptowire) is the source for mobile security and privacy solutions, staying steps ahead of the threat and delivering peace of mind.

Purple Security

Purple Security

Purple Security arises from the association of specialists in offensive security (ethical hackers, white hats) and experts in insurance, compliance and implementation of industry standards.

Cyber Threat Alliance

Cyber Threat Alliance

CTA is working to improve cybersecurity of our digital ecosystem by enabling near real-time cyber threat information sharing among companies and organizations in the cybersecurity field.

Crosser

Crosser

The Crosser Platform enables real-time processing of streaming or batch data for Industrial IoT, Data Transformation, Analytics, Automation and Integration.

CybrHawk

CybrHawk

CybrHawk is a leading provider of information security-driven risk intelligence solutions focused solely on protecting clients from cyber-attacks.

Snowflake

Snowflake

Empower your cybersecurity and compliance teams with Snowflake. Gain full visibility into security logs, at massive scale, while reducing costs of Security Information and Event Management systems.

RecoLabs

RecoLabs

Reco’s proprietary AI technology dynamically maps business interactions within your collaboration tools to identify sensitive assets shared and uncover incidents that are relevant to your business.

IPKeys Cyber Partners

IPKeys Cyber Partners

IPKeys Cyber Partners, together with the IPKeys Power Partners unit, provide Cyber Security and CIP Compliance for utilities, grid operators and public safety organization across the USA.

Digital Intelligence

Digital Intelligence

Digital Intelligence offer a full array of products, forensic and e-discovery consulting services and training.

Armolon

Armolon

Armolon provides comprehensive data breach and cybersecurity, as well cybersecurity audits and certifications, and disaster recovery/business continuity services to clients.

aFFirmFirst

aFFirmFirst

aFFirmFirst is a unique software solution offering a simple yet effective way for businesses to protect and control their online images and logo, as well as allowing one-click website verification.

PRE Security

PRE Security

PRE Security is leading the transition into the next era of AI cybersecurity with a new model: Predict & Prevent.